Lace holds a close relationship to the intimacies of domestic spaces, and is a complex textile in that it is the only fabric that represents both chastity and debauchery. Found in doilies, wedding dresses, table clothes, lingerie, undergarments, etc. this fabric can be considered a representation of both purity and feminine sexual desire.
While thinking about this dichotomy, I use traditional mono-printing techniques with domestic textiles and traditionally female dominated mediums such as crochet, embroidery, sewing, etc.
This installation aims to elevate the domestic textile in the traditional and academic setting of the gallery. Inspired by the feminist works that came from the Pattern and Decoration Movement of the 1970’s whose art focused on pleasure, optimism, and joy, the decorative and aesthetically pleasing elements help to guide the work as well. Reading as abstracted body parts, the work is a representation of my physical and emotional self. Individually pieces are intimate in size and texture, however as whole, create a larger work that speak to these opposing and complex narratives of the textile and femininity.
Mono-prints and embroidery on bed linens
2021
This reimagined environment uses materials found in my home such as pillow stuffing, my partner, spices, and curtains. These features create a surreal landscape that connects the viewer to a more private space. The repeated shape used on the floor is that of a domestic wallpaper motif found in my childhood home resembling the shape of a woman’s womb.
The materials used to create the shapes on the floor are found primarily in a kitchen and are all ingestible. Using various materials intended for ingestion such as powdered milk and cayenne nod to nourishing the body, but also the act of ingestion being a form of intimacy and a very direct connection with the body. The act of sifting these materials on the floor creates repetition similar to that of tasks and activities done in a home. Similar acts of repeatedly sifting sand have been used throughout various cultures and history as a meditative practice, and becomes a therapeutic way of feeding and nourishing myself through this way of making.
Exhibition at the Murray Art Guild in Murray, KY.
2022
As an artist and a woman, I think about the various interactions we have, both physically and emotionally, in private spaces and how that shapes us as individuals throughout our lives. Using relatable patterns, objects, and textures, this series aims to create an empathetic environment in order to converse with the viewer about these private moments and ourselves. Personal context clues, small narratives, and soft conversing forms are found throughout while using colors indicative of anatomy diagrams and the body. The materials and processes used echo the visceral and lush as a representation of my physical and emotional self.
Womens stockings, pillow stuffing, raw cotton, embroidery floss, various items found at an estate sale
2021
Materials used throughout this installation are mostly overlooked, discarded, and/or mundane in response to everyday consumption both visually and physically. By weaving these ephemeral materials it slows me down, allowing me to reflect on the materials and create a disconnect from their original function. Formal properties and merging of textures and materials help to slow the viewers gaze to be able to fully digest the work, creating a dialog of time through form, orientation, and narrative. Where these weavings seemingly lack tradition in materiality and orientation, they show a strong sense of craft and responsiveness to the material. The forced interaction with the floor pattern is an acknowledgment to the vulnerabilities of our bodies, and gradual decay over time. The materials and forms combine yet also contradict to form a conversation about consumption, exertion, and outgrowth.
Relief on paper
2020
Relief on paper
2020
Scorched white linens, Plexiglass, waxed thread
2019
Scorched white linens, Plexiglass, waxed thread
2019
Scorched white linens, Plexiglass, waxed thread
2019
Scorched white linens, Plexiglass, waxed thread
2019
Scorched white linens, Plexiglass, waxed thread
2019
Using site specific materials such as dirt and sweepings from my home, I created prints, artist books, and sculptural installations that examine my role as both artist and domestic partner. The dirt flocked imagery of mops, dusters and brooms found in my installations are repeated and multiplied throughout my work, and speak to the individual moments and experiences that make up a whole. By adding characteristics of traditional woman’s work such as needle work and vintage dress patterns I am questioning these given roles to women in American society. All reflect the methodical and repetitive ways women conduct tasks in their own home, such as daily chores and personal hygiene. By submerging the viewer in this surreal domestic landscape, they are forced to find a correlation between their own experiences with domestic gender roles and my own.
Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University, KY.
2019